Online planning application privacy policy

Development Management - Privacy statement for e-planning

This privacy statement explains how we use any personal information we collect about you when you use the Council's Online Planning Information System (OPIS).

OPIS is also covered by North Ayrshire Council's general privacy policy which covers the Council's website.

What information do we collect about you?

When determining a planning or related application, North Ayrshire Council receives personal information from; the application form, documents of support or objection, the applicant and interested parties. Personal information can include:

contact information - name, address, email address, phone numbers

your occupation

information about your health

expressed opinions or intentions in respect of a planning application

Publication and access to information

To comply with its statutory obligations, the Council must make public certain details relating to planning applications in the form of a Public Register. Regulations allow this information to be made available on the Internet. The Council is under a statutory obligation to publish, on its website, a list of planning applications. This includes the name and address of the applicant and, where an agent is acting for the applicant, the name and address of that agent.

The information provided in the Register should not be relied upon as a basis for purchasing property or other decisions which have financial or contractual implications. A full property enquiry should always be made in such circumstances.

Information for applicants and agents

The Council will publish, on its website, a copy of your completed application form and relevant supporting documents and drawings. This is likely to include your name and postal address and, where an agent is acting for you, the name and address of that agent. To protect personal data from unnecessary disclosure, the Council will remove phone numbers, email address and signatures from the information that may be viewed via the website. Any sensitive personal data such as information about your health will also be removed before publication.

Information for consultees and objectors

The Council may publish comments received from third parties (eg neighbours, other members of the public, community organisations etc.) about planning applications on its website. To protect personal data from unnecessary disclosure, the Council will remove names, addresses, phone numbers, email address and signatures from the information that may be viewed via the website. The Council will not publish defamatory or obscene comments.

Data protection

The Council will process personal data in accordance with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and will:

only use the information for the purposes of dealing with and considering the application

only publish the information on the website for a maximum of 3 months after the date on which a decision notice is issued.

If an appeal/review is lodged within the relevant period the application documents may be made available on the website again.

If an appeal against the application is submitted to the Scottish Government's Directorate of Planning and Environmental Appeals (DPEA), they may also publish your comments on the internet. DPEA are also subject to the same data protection rules as the Council.

Your responsibilities:

Only provide the level of personal information necessary for the purpose it is being submitted for (for most planning related matters, this should be limited to your contact information only)

Do not include personal information about another person (including family members) unless the individual concerned has consented and you can provide evidence of this consent

Tell us as soon as possible if any of the personal information you have provided should change, in case we need to contact you.

Access to your personal data

For any enquiry or concern about this privacy policy, the Council's general privacy policy, or to request access to your personal data, contact our Data Protection Officer at:

For details of how to request access to your personal data, please see the Council's Privacy Policy. We aim to resolve any enquiries or concerns about the processing of your personal data to your satisfaction, however if you are not satisfied with our response, you may contact: